Championship Week
Second Time a Charm for Goodman in 14s
by Todd Holcomb, 16 August 2011
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They say nobody remembers who finishes second.
Lauren Goodman of Fort Wayne, Ind., can't forget the
2010 runner-up from the USTA Girls 14 Hard Court Super Nationals.
It was Goodman. And she was determined not to repeat the memory last week at the hard court nationals in Peachtree City.
Goodman, the No. 1 seed, defeated No. 6 Mia Horvit of Parkland, Fla., 6-2, 6-2 to claim her first Super National singles title.
"Last year when I lost in the finals, that almost haunted me. It's bothered me so much," Goodman said. "I got creamed last year. Not creamed, but it was not a close match. [She lost 6-2, 6-3 to Jessie Lynn Paul of North Carolina]. I used that more as a motivation. When I won [Thursday], it felt so good to know that all the work I put into it paid off. It felt really good, almost a relief."
Goodman had only one close match in the tournament. In the semifinals against No. 8 Usue Arconada of Puerto Rico, Goodman trailed 0-1, 15-40. She came back to hold serve and won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours.
It was a memorable match because Arconada, the No. 8 seed, was the only player shorter than Goodman that Goodman faced. Goodman is 5-foot-1.
When pictures were being taken of the finalists, Goodman stood on a step so that she'd look taller alongside Horvit, who was several inches taller. Despite her smaller stature, the muscular Goodman feels she was one of the more aggressive players in the tournament, which gave her an edge.
